alan shepard 1962 corvette

Armstrong joined the astronaut corps in 1962 with NASA's second group of astronauts. According to his authorized biography, his first leased Corvette was damaged when a fire destroyed his house. After General Motors gifted astronaut Alan Shepard with a white 1962 Corvette to congratulate him on becoming the first American in space, … The 1962 issue of Corvette News featured Alan B. Shepard with a white, 1962 Corvette coupe featuring a customized, space-age interior. Born on Nov. 18, 1923, to Renza Emerson and Alan Shepard, Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. grew up in rural New Hampshire. "As can be seen in the pictures, the car has 30+ years of dust and has had fender flares crudely added by the owner during it's time in storage," the seller wrote on eBay. But despite the astronomical bid, the seller may have not sold the first moonwalker’s car. And thus began a love affair between Astronauts and Corvettes. Wrecked my NASA acid trip in 1966. GM did give a Corvette to Alan Shepard in 1962. His choice of vehicle when attending Space Program training was a 1957 Chevy Corvette. The 1962 issue of Corvette News (Vol .5, issue #1) featured Alan B. Shepard with a white, 1962 Corvette coupe featuring a customized, … NASA Astronauts car of choice – Chevrolet Corvette. I think it’s safe to say that Buzz Aldrin’s Corvette holds a special place as far as automotive icons are concerned. Alan Shepard Jr. was the first American in space, an astronaut of the Project Mercury Seven program. ", "This car will need a complete restoration to bring it back to life. Alan Shepard Jr. was the first American in space, an astronaut of the Project Mercury Seven program. > GM saw both a service and a marketing opportunity with the astronauts’ fame. The seller intended to restore the Corvette but due to "too many things going at this time" he decided to part with it instead. In the series, while training in Florida, Shepard negotiated a contract for the astronauts to rent Corvettes for only a … "I guess if you kept the 'worn' out original seat covers, then you can say that Mr. Armstrong sat in these seats. A common misunderstanding is that GM as a whole, was solely responsible for … The last of the first generation, solid axle Corvettes, 1962 was an important milestone in automotive history. The seats are torn, and the trim is faded. It was Jim Rathmann, a Florida Chevrolet dealership owner and winner of the 1960 Indianapolis … The closest footage seems to be an old German newsreel that includes film of Armstrong pulling up to work in a Corvette, but it was shot in 1965. There are no chassis photos, but we assume its condition is consistent with the rest of the car. GM did give a Corvette to Alan Shepard in 1962. We're guessing Glenn was also the designated driver for the astronaut's many outings. "As a vintage car collector myself, that is what I would be doing to verify the car's history.". lan B. Shepard (center) with GM Styling President William L. Mitchell (left) and Chevrolet General Manager Edward N. Cole (right) with Shepard’s 1962 Corvette. “On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard became the first American to travel into outer space. After becoming the first American in space 50 years ago this very day, GM handed over the keys to a special 1962 Corvette as thanks for his bravery. To me that will take away from [the] 'survivor' fact and that Neil Armstrong owned it. Chevrolet Another shot from the same photoshoot. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard (center) with GM Styling President William L. Mitchell (left) and Chevrolet General Manager Edward N. Cole (right) with Shepard's 1962 Ermine White Corvette. Under the hood, we find a well-aged V8. ", "I would be running the history on the car's VIN [Vehicle Identification Number] tracking down all the documentation that proves Neil Armstrong owned / operated / leased this car," he said. The car had been outfitted by GM designers with a … “That so many of them drove … When he returned to Earth, GM presented him with a brand new 1962 Corvette and the connection of Corvettes and Astronauts became the stuff of legends. The 1962 issue of Corvette News (Vol .5, No. See more ideas about 1962 corvette, corvette, vette. "This Corvette was bought by a NASA employee when Mr. Armstrong turned it in and was retained by the owner until I purchased the Corvette from him in February of 2012," the eBay seller wrote in his auction's description. Alan Shepard and his 1962 Corvette General Motors In 1961 when Alan Shepard became the first American in space, he was given a brand-new 1962 Chevrolet Corvette as a gift upon his return. That ruffled some feathers—both at GM, where some thought it set a bad precedent, and at NASA, which prohibited astronauts from endorsing a product or company. Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom famously dueled in their Corvettes, with Grissom upgrading his '67 with faster gearing and room for wider racing tires. That guy could make an acid trip boring... and did. July 20, 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first landing of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module on the moon when Astronaut Neil Armstrong, watched on television by an estimated 530 million people on earth, took his “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” and became the first man to set foot on the lunar surface. Fifty years ago this month, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into outer space. Shortly after returning from his historic flight to space in 1961, Alan Shepard got a surprise gift from General Motors — a dazzling white 1962 Chevrolet Corvette. Rathmann, … He bought his first Chevrolet Corvette, a used 1953 model, from his father-in-law for $1,500 in 1954. But despite the astronomical bid, the seller may have not sold the first moonwalker’s car. After General Motors gifted astronaut Alan Shepard with a white 1962 Corvette to congratulate him on becoming the first American in space, Indianapolis … The image of the three of them atop their Corvettes just makes you want to climb into one, even today. Giant Leaps: Top Milestones of Human Spaceflight, NASA's 17 Apollo Moon Missions in Pictures. Shepard owned a 1957 Corvette owner prior to his Mercury launch, and he was given a brand-new, customized 1962 Corvette during the celebrations after his return. (below) Alan B. Shepard (center) with GM Styling President William L. Mitchell (left) and Chevrolet General Manager Edward N. Cole (right) with Shepard's 1962 Corvette. After graduating from high school, he … But most astronauts drove Corvettes through a dollar a year lease program run by a Florida GM dealer. Jim Rathmann, a Melbourne, Florida Chevrolet dealer and winner of the 1960 Indy 500, … Dec 18, 2011 - DETROIT – On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard became the first American to travel into outer space. With a Caddilac-Corvette dealership close to the Space Center in Florida, Rathmann offered astronauts "special" lease terms. 435 H. p. Aluminum Head Option previously owned by Astronaut Alan Shepard. Armstrong's autograph, for example, can sell today for as much as 10 times more than his fellow Apollo astronauts, even though he signed freely for more than three decades (Armstrong stopped signing autographs in 1994, citing the commercialization of his signature). Corvette’s first official introduction to America’s astronauts came shortly after Alan Shepard became the first American into space with his sub-orbital flight on May 5, 1961. Chevrolet's relationship with the space program dates back to 1961, when GM President Ed Cole presented the first American in space, Alan Shepard, with a white 1962 Corvette … Though this was indeed a fine gesture shown to Shepard for his heroics, other astronauts of the day had yet to jump on the Corvette band-wagon. Long story. In Episode 2 of Nat Geo and Disney+ series “The Right Stuff,” brash Navy test pilot turned Mercury 7 astronaut Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman) somewhat unwittingly negotiates the … For $1 per year, the spacemen could drive the latest model Corvette and then trade it in for a new one. ", To prove its pedigree, the seller presents the car's original General Motors "Protect-O-Plate," a factory issued metal tag that displays the name of the car's original owner. The lease program was popular with the astronauts and proved to be good exposure for Chevrolet, so it continued into the Gemini and Apollo programs. Rathmann negotiated a special lease arrangement to put the Mercury astronauts into the cars. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., in his silver pressure suit with the helmet visor closed, prepares for his Mercury Redstone 3 launch on May 5, 1961. Dec 18, 2011 - DETROIT – On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard became the first American to travel into outer space.

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